If you’ve been following my previous posts on the Netgear R7000 router running firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60, you’ll know that I, along with many others, have experienced nothing but problems with Netgear’s latest firmware release for this router, which ironically was issued to fix another problematic firmware version (version 1.0.9.58_10.2.58) for the same router. I’ll include links to my previous posts at the end of this post if you want to check them out.

UPDATE: After further testing, I did notice issues with Wi-Fi connectivity and performance after reverting to firmware version 1.0.9.42_10.2.44. Some devices had trouble reconnecting to the Wi-Fi network on both the 2.4G and 5G networks. After some attempts to resolve the issue, I decided to go back to firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60. While I could try a hard reset of the router, I’m not overly confident the result would differ. If you are able to revert to firmware version 1.0.9.42_10.2.44 and get the R7000 stable, stick with it for now. If not, as in this case, go back to firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60 or consider getting another router. A new router seems inevitable.

After going back to firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60, following problems from reverting to firmware version 1.0.9.42_10.2.44, I did experience issues with the Wi-Fi network sporadically cutting out and/or devices losing Wi-Fi connectivity; however, I did not immediately experience further sporadic reboots of the R7000 router. I decided to check the QoS settings and disable all QoS and WMM features. In the “Advanced” tab, I went to “Setup” then “QoS Setup.” In “QoS Setup,” I first checked the “QoS” tab where “Enable QoS” was already disabled so I left it as such. I then checked the “WMM” tab and went ahead and disabled both the “Enable WMM (Wi-Fi multimedia) settings (2.4GHz b/g/n)” and “Enable WMM (Wi-Fi multimedia) settings (5GHz a/n).” After applying the changes, I did not see any improvement to the situation.

I then decided to reload firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60 again; however, this time, I decided to download the firmware directly from the Netgear support website and manually perform the installation. Previously, I upgraded through the R7000 dashboard. I’ve upgraded many routers over the years by using both the router upgrade feature built into router dashboards and by manually downloading and installing firmware onto routers. While I’ve run into issues occasionally, for the most part, both methods have generally worked fine. In this situation, I felt a manual firmware upgrade was worth a shot. I proceeded with the manual reload of firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60.

The result . . . I’ve been running the Netgear R7000 with the reloaded firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60 for over a month now and I haven’t noticed any further widespread issues. I did recently have one user report connectivity issues with the 5G network, but no other users have reported or experienced the same so I’m still trying to ascertain if this is an isolated issue with this user’s devices.

Since the firmware reload, I’ve kept the QoS settings disabled and I’ve put as much load, if not more, onto the router to test and see if I could replicate the previous issues. Outside of that one user’s experience, the router appears to be stabilized for now. There’s no guarantee that it will work for you but feel free to give it a try.

In a worst-case scenario, if this doesn’t work and Netgear does not release a timely, stable firmware version to resolve these issues, the next step will be to replace the router. I’ve been looking into several options, both Netgear-branded and non-Netgear branded which I’ll include below. There are also a couple of older Netgear models that I’ve used which are still in the market and are stable running the latest Netgear firmware for those respective models. I’ll also include them below.

You may wonder why I’m keeping Netgear on the short list and it’s because I’ve used Netgear for many years and generally, they have been reliable. I’ve also used Linksys both before and after they were acquired by Cisco. Likewise, I’ve used Belkin which acquired Linksys. If you plan on making a change, do your research and go with a brand and product that you feel most comfortable with.

LATEST UPDATE: After over a month of stability, both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless connections began to consistently drop. The wired connection was unaffected and there were no spontaneous reboots during this period. Rebooting the router did not help the situation. In fact, the wireless connections began dropping more frequently after the reboot. While the 2.4GHz would eventually recover, the 5GHz remained offline until the connection was reset. With no new firmware updates from Netgear, it looks like it’s time to get a new router. In the interim, I have factory reset the R7000 and reconfigured the router to see if this will help in the short-term until a new router is in place.

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Just one week ago, Netgear officially released firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60 to address bugs with a previously released and abruptly removed firmware version 1.0.9.58_10.2.58 for the Netgear R7000 router. While firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60 did appear to stabilize the R7000 router and resolve some of the issues with firmware version 1.0.9.58_10.2.58, it also created a new issue – sporadic reboots.

The sporadic reboots aren’t exactly new to me. In my experience with firmware version 1.0.9.58_10.2.58, I did experience a couple of sporadic reboots right before Netgear released firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60 along with the other issues. Those sporadic reboots may have been related to the out of memory issue which was one of the issues firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60 fixed.

After upgrading to firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60, the Netgear R7000 router did appear to stabilize and operate normally for a couple of days. However, I started noticing sporadic reboots on the Netgear R7000 shortly thereafter. In the past week, the R7000 has sporadically rebooted at least twice. Upon reviewing posts on the Netgear Community site, I did find similar complaints about firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60. The consensus on how to fix the issue is to revert down to firmware version 1.0.9.42_10.2.44 until Netgear releases a proper, stable firmware upgrade that addresses this issue.

I’m generally not a fan of downgrading firmware as downgrades can create their own havoc; however, in this circumstance, it appears to be the only viable option, so I’ve gone ahead and reverted down to firmware version 1.0.9.42_10.2.44. Firmware version 1.0.9.42_10.2.44 is generally stable; however, I did have issues with the built-in VPN functionality which seemed to be resolved in firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60.

Hopefully, lessons have been learned and we’ll get a stable firmware upgrade from Netgear that addresses all these issues soon! Until then, let’s hope reverting to firmware version 1.0.9.42_10.2.44 restores order to this firmware chaos.

UPDATE: After further testing, I did notice issues with Wi-Fi connectivity and performance after reverting to firmware version 1.0.9.42_10.2.44. Some devices had trouble reconnecting to the Wi-Fi network on both the 2.4G and 5G networks. After some attempts to resolve the issue, I decided to go back to firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60. While I could try a hard reset of the router, I’m not overly confident the result would differ. If you are able to revert to firmware version 1.0.9.42_10.2.44 and get the R7000 stable, stick with it for now. If not, as in this case, go back to firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60 or consider getting another router. A new router seems inevitable.

Netgear officially released firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60 late Tuesday to fix bugs with previously released and now removed firmware version 1.0.9.58_10.2.58. Earlier on Tuesday, the new firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60 was available for download directly through the Netgear R7000 admin console; however, no release notes nor related documentation were available through the admin console or on the Netgear support website at the time.

Netgear has now provided release notes on firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60 as well as made the download link available on the Netgear support website. According to Netgear, firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60 includes the following bug fixes:

Fixes the issue where the WiFi performance drops

Improves the WAN throughput when the traffic meter is enabled

Fixes the attached device list issue where devices disappear from the list and cannot be edited in the GUI or Nighthawk app

Fixes some security issues

Fixes the installation wizard for AP mode.

Fixes the issue where the wrong connection type displays in the Access Control page

Fixes the issue where the speed test results always shows “0”

Fixes the issue where the BASIC page does not display the correct WiFi password when the security mode is in Enterprise mode

Fixes the issue where the same network names can be used for the main and guest 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz networks.

Fixes the issue where WPS still works even if the WiFi radio is disabled

Fixes the potential out of memory issue

If you’ve been experiencing issues after installing firmware version 1.0.9.58_10.2.58 on a Netgear R7000 router, try upgrading to firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60 to see if it resolves your issues.

From my own experience, after upgrading to firmware version 1.0.9.58_10.2.58, I noticed issues including devices losing or dropping the connection to the 5G wireless network, unable to detect the 5G wireless network SSID, latency or loss of connectivity over the 5G wireless network, sporadic or intermittent connectivity issues over the wired network and spontaneous reboot of the Netgear R7000 router. The issues were occurring multiple times daily and seemingly getting worse.

Since upgrading to the new firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60, the Netgear R7000 has been stable and operating normally. Granted, it’s only been slightly over a day since I’ve installed the new firmware, but it looks promising. Fingers crossed!

If you’ve recently upgraded your Netgear R7000 router to firmware version 1.0.9.58_10.2.58 and have been experiencing intermittent or sporadic connectivity issues with your router’s 5G wireless network connection, wired network connection or the like, it may be due to the firmware. Issues that I’ve experienced include devices losing or dropping the connection to the 5G wireless network, unable to detect the 5G wireless network SSID, latency or loss of connectivity over the 5G wireless network, sporadic or intermittent connectivity issues over the wired network and spontaneous reboot of the Netgear R7000 router.

Netgear has quietly pulled firmware version 1.0.9.58_10.2.58 along with its release notes and related documentation from their support website. The Netgear support website currently lists firmware version 1.0.9.42 as the current version. You don’t necessarily need to revert to firmware version 1.0.9.42 if you are currently on firmware version 1.0.9.58_10.2.58.

Just as quietly as Netgear removed firmware version 1.0.9.58_10.2.58, Netgear has also quietly released firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60, which is available for download via the Netgear R7000 router’s admin console. You’ll need to first login to your Netgear R7000 router. Upon successful login, you should see a message at the top of the admin console homepage indicating that a new firmware version for the Netgear R7000 is available. Clicking on the message should take you to the “Router Update” page where you can download and install firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60. Alternatively, from the admin console homepage, you can go to the “Advanced” tab then under “Administration,” go to “Router Update” and click “Check” to check for and install the new firmware. The router will require a reboot to complete the firmware upgrade.

Netgear has not provided any release notes or related documentation regarding firmware version 1.0.9.60_10.2.60 as of the date of this post so be sure to check the Netgear support website for further updates.